Before the Real World
by bigtimeforever
Summary: Random James/Rachel stuff. Intro inside. Read and Review!  PS- these situations happen before Welcome to the Real World
1. Chapter 1

So all of these chapters are completely random things I wrote out of boredom.

It's called Before the Real World because I have another story called Welcome to the Real World which is five years after these.

Some are one-shots. It's not a continuous story, like everyday story sort of thing, but it does go in like chronological order. This story probably won't be too long and it'll probably be done quickly since I have most of it typed. But I won't say it's complete in case you guys want me to write something.

Sorry that might be confusing! Just read this and my other story please!

Enjoy!

Read and Review!


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up to the shower starting. I rolled over and opened my eyes. The bathroom door was closed, and I could see the light under it. The TV was still on, murmuring softly. I turned my head to look at the clock. 11.51, it read. Even after knowing him for almost a year, I still couldn't believe James' hours. He could literally be gone all day. But I was glad he woke me up. I wanted to see him, to kiss him goodnight. I pulled the blankets up over my chest and closed my eyes and waited for him. A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened. James emerged in a tanktop and sweatpants, the usual. He wore that outfit more than anything. He smiled a little when I caught his eye.

"Hey," he said sliding into bed beside me.

"Hello," I said turning my head to look at him. I moved my face closer to his and kissed him gently for a moment. He smiled when I pulled away.

"I love you," James said.

"I love you too." I turned to my side and he moved closer and slid his arm around my waist. His skin was freezing against mine. A chill went up my spine.

"Are you _cold_?" James asked me.

"Yes! It's because _you're_ cold. I was perfectly fine until you put your arm around me," I said dramatically. James laughed a little, then said "Sorry." He snuggled up closer to me, burying his face in my neck, but it only made me colder. "Stop!" I said playfully. I squirmed a little, trying to get warm again, and closed my eyes.

I woke up the next morning at a few minutes before eight, and James' arm was still around my waist. I smiled a little, then slid out of bed slowly, careful not to wake him up. I went out to the kitchen and put on a fresh pot of coffee, then figured I mine as well make breakfast too. I got out some eggs and sausage, then scrambled the eggs and fried the sausage. I was cutting up some fruit when I heard a creak in the floor. Right inside our bedroom door, if you stepped in just the right spot, it creaked. That was the only spot in the entire apartment that ever creaked. But it also served as a signal that James was making his way out.

"Good morning gorgeous," James said sliding an arm around me. Sweet talk was one of my few weaknesses. He kissed my cheek and I said "Good morning." He let me go, then went over to the coffee pot and poured two cups.

"Long day yesterday?" I asked him as he pulled some half and half out of the fridge.

"Don't even get me started. I felt like I was there for days!" He said dramatically. I laughed a little, then he said "But, today I don't have to be there until 12.30." He put the half and half back, then handed me a cup.

"We shall relax then," I said with a smile.

"Yes, we shall," he said.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up to an odd silence that told me something was wrong. I sat up and looked around the room for James, but he wasn't there.

"James?" I called, my voice bouncing off the walls. "James?" Nothing at all. I got up and went out to the kitchen, thinking he might have been there but ignored me. There was no sign of him. No note or anything. He never just left without letting me know beforehand or leaving me a note. Never. I immediately moved into panic mode. All I could do was pray that he was okay. I went back into the bedroom, and looked on the dresser. No wallet, no keys. I went over to my bedside table, where my phone was charging, and pulled the plug. I dialed James' number and paced around the room waiting for it to connect. It felt like forever while I was waiting for him to pick up. I heard a click, and I knew he picked up, but before he could say anything, I talked first. "James, oh my god, you scared me to death. Where are you?" I demanded.

"Um, hey to you too?" James said, not sure what I meant. "I'm in New York, like I told you last night." What? I thought. I didn't have the slightest clue what he was talking about.

"What? You never told me anything about New York." James was silent for a moment.

"Didn't I tell you last night that I was leaving early this morning to go to New York?" He asked confused. I was frustrated, not to mention angry.

"No James, you didn't," I said, my voice ice cold.  
"I could have sworn I did. Maybe I just thought that." He was making this sound like a 'Woops, my bad,' kind of mistake. But in my eyes, it was far from that.

"Maybe you did," I said, my voice growing louder, "Because you sure didn't say anything to me about it."

"Why are you mad?" James asked. Was he serious?

"Maybe because I wake up this morning and you're gone and I have no idea where you are. God I was worried sick about you James," I said, my throat tightening.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'll be back tomorrow night. What else do you want me to do about it?" What happened to my James? He was acting like a jerk; he didn't mean that sorry the way he always said sorry, and he was acting like this was my fault.

"Nothing, I'll see you when you get home," I said, then hung up abruptly. Were we growing apart? He never acted like this. Or did he? Did I even know the person I thought I knew?

No, I can't even think that. I didn't fall in love with a jerk. I didn't get engaged to a jerk. I'm not marrying a jerk. I fell in love with the sweetest guy ever. A guy who made me laugh. A guy who made me feel so good on the inside, making me feel a way I never had before. A guy who, whenever he kissed me, it was just like the first time; a magic of some sort.

So what was going on? I got in the shower, what I always did when I cried, because it made them seem fake with the water running down my face with them. I slid on a t-shirt and sweatpants, then laid down on the bed, pulling the blankets over me. I flipped on the TV and turned it down low, and just laid there in the almost overbearing silence, not wanting to be alone or doubtful. All I could hear in my mind were the worst words I had once had to hear, to come to terms with.

_"I-I'm sorry, but I just can't deal with this right now." _

I hated that day so much. I thought I lost James forever. Was that going to happen again? I had no idea what to think right now. All I wanted was for James to say sorry sincerely like he always did, and for everything to be okay. Then those words I'd heard so many times on the radio flooded back.

_ And it might be wonderful,_

_ It might be magical_

_ It might be everything I've waited for, _

_ A miracle._

_ And if I should ever fall in love again with someone new,_

_ It could never be the way I loved you. _

_ Like a first love,_

_ The one and only true love._

_ Wasn't it written all over my face?  
I loved you like you loved me, _

_ Like something pure and holy._

_ Like something that could never be replaced._

_ And it was wonderful._

_ It was magical. _

_ It was everything I've waited for,_

_ A miracle._

_ And if I should ever fall in love again with someone new,_

_ It could never be the way._

_ No, it will never be the way I loved you. _

I didn't want to have this be my new theme song if this was over. I couldn't love anyone like I loved James. It just…wasn't possible. I tried when we broke up before, and it wouldn't work.

This WAS wonderful. It WAS magical. It WAS everything I'd waited for. It WAS a miracle. And I couldn't fall in love with anyone else. My one and only heart belonged to James. He would never break it again.

Even though I was starting to see this was just a mistake, I wasn't just going to say I forgave him. We were going to talk this out when he got back, unless he proved himself otherwise.

I lay there all day until about three when I got hungry and went out to the kitchen to get a snack. I was headed back to the bedroom, when I happened to glance over at the living room wall. The one with all our pictures on it. I sighed and walked over to it, staring into the frames, remembering the day. There was one big frame farthest to the left with pictures of James, the guys, Katelyn and myself from the beach about a week ago. James and I wanted pictures, to make our apartment homier, so we spent a day being goofy and taking pictures. I looked up to the top right hand corner, where my favorite picture was. James and I were standing in the ocean, mid-calf deep, standing about a foot apart. We were looking out at the ocean, our backs to the camera, my right and his left hand laced together. But what made the picture special was whoever took this (no one admitted it), took it from a slight distance and didn't tell us. And I'm glad, because if they did, it wouldn't have looked as cute and natural.

That's what we're supposed to be. That right there, in the picture. But a part of me was being stubborn and told me to still wait until he got back. I went back into the bedroom and laid down on the bed again, and checked my phone. One missed call, one voicemail from James. He must have been super busy because if he wasn't, I could guarantee he would have called more than once. I listened to the voicemail.

"It's me," James started sadly; he was upset I didn't pick up. "Please call me back." There was an odd silence, like he couldn't figure out what else to say, then "I love you." And that was it. Even though he meant that I love you, he didn't say sorry. Which is why my final decision was to wait for him to get home tomorrow.

The next night, I was still mad at James, who had only called me one more time hours ago to tell me he was on his way back, and I was in the kitchen cleaning up some stuff when I heard the door shut. I sighed quietly as I thought here we go. I continued straightening up even as James walked in the room.

"Hey," he said hesitantly. I didn't even acknowledge him. He came closer and leaned towards the side of my face to kiss my cheek, but I squirmed away before he could, going over to the sink where my back was to him. I heard him sigh before he said "I'm really sor-"

"You should be sorry James. I mean, you jet off across the country and don't tell me? You didn't leave a note or anything." My throat was tightening, but I tried to keep my tears down for a few more moments.

"I know, and I'm-"

"And then you act like it's my fault I don't know and you were being a jerk and you didn't mean your sorry before," I said loudly. "Do you know how worried I was?" I turned around to look at him, tears brimming over my eyes. "I cannot believe you." I will admit, I came on a little harsh, but I think I had the right to. James opened his mouth to say something, but I scowled at him with a look that meant not now. He turned on his heel and walked towards the bedroom, an upset look on his face. I went and plopped down on the couch, hiding my face in the soft fabric to muffle my cries. I don't know why I was acting like this. It was so out of character for me. I went to bed at about midnight, and James was facing the balcony door, his back to me, his eyes closed. But I knew better than to think he was asleep. I laid down with my back to him, and closed my eyes, but didn't start to doze off until about three thirty, after spending hours trying to figure things out.

7.06. The numbers were burning in red on the digital clock on my nightstand. I wanted to be alone for a while, so I got up and quickly but quietly got dressed. I looked at James before I left, his body moving in and out slightly as he breathed. I sighed, then picked up my bag and phone and went out to the kitchen. I tore a piece of paper off the notepad on the fridge and grabbed a pen.

_I'll be back later_, I scribbled, _please don't call me and please don't worry._

I went over to the coffee pot and put in a new filter and coffee in, then set it for a few minutes before eight, since that's usually when James got up. I put my note next to it, then quietly went out the door. I walked down to Starbucks which was only a few blocks away and got my favorite drink. I just wandered aimlessly, trying to rid my head of all thoughts.

At around noon, I went back to the apartment. I opened the door and I could hear that James was in the kitchen, probably trying to find something to eat. I walked into the kitchen and set my bag down on the counter. James turned his head to look at me, then after staring for a moment, he turned his whole body towards me.

"James, you had me worried sick, which is why I was so _mad_ at you yesterday." I felt tears coming up to my eyes, and this time I didn't push them down. "You're me everything James," I said softly, "And I don't want to lose you, and you scared me." He came over to me, wordlessly, and wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I buried my face in his chest as my cry became a sob.

"I'm sorry," James said softly, and he really really meant it. I took in a few shaky breaths, and he held me tighter. "I love you. Will you please forgive me?" I tried to respond, but I couldn't. I didn't know why exactly I was crying and couldn't control it. "Shh," he whispered, smoothing a hand over my hair. "It's okay." After a few more seconds, I got my tears under control and quietly said "Of course I will. I love you too much to be mad at you." I stayed still for a moment, feeling the warmth of his chest on my face, glad that the boy I loved was holding me as I cried. James rubbed his hand up and down my back, comforting me, letting me know that everything was okay. He kissed the top of my head gently, and I composed myself enough to pull away.


	4. Chapter 4

I was sitting on the couch in the living room, surfing the internet on my laptop since I had nothing better to do, when I heard the door shut. It was a few minutes before nine, somewhat early for James to be getting home.

"Hey," I said as he came into the room. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt and gray pants, his shorter new hair looking gorgeous as always. There was something about this that I _really_ liked. James started to sit down next to me, but winced in the process and stayed standing. "What's wrong?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

"I think I pulled a muscle," He said. I closed my laptop and put it down next to me.

"Where?"

"My lower ab." I made a face.

Why did he have a pulled muscle in his lower ab? Too many back flips? Yes, that sounds logical.

I stood up and pulled him into the bedroom with me. I turned on the lamp on my bedside table, then went to the bathroom and got him some medicine. When I came back in the bedroom, James was lying on the bed. I looked down at him and shook my head.

"What? It hurts to sit up."

"Nothing," I said, even though in my mind a plan was brewing. I handed him the medicine, and he took it willingly. "Tomorrow, you're gonna feel like crap," I informed him as I climbed on the bed next to him.

"Oh yay," James said sarcastically.

"But, in two days, you should be back to normal," I added.

"So you're telling me I'm going to be useless for two whole days?" He said dramatically. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up," I said, smacking his chest.

"Owww," He pouted. I smiled a little, then said "I guess I'll have to repay you." I climbed on top of him, a leg on either side of his waist. I slid my hands under his shirt and ran them over his abs, James grimacing at the touch.

"Do you want me to stop?" I asked, worried I was hurting him. He shook his head slightly, and I grinned. "Where does it hurt?" I asked now.

"My left side," He replied, his eyes closed, showing me he enjoyed this. I moved my hands to his left side, right about the waistband of his gray pants.

"Here?" James just barely nodded. I ran my hands over it a few times, and he shifted comfortably beneath me. I started rubbing the sore spot gently, and he made a soft sound. I leaned in close to his face, continuing to half-seduce, half-comfort, him. Before I could kiss him, he said "Mm babe, that feels _really_ good."

I felt my whole body get hot, my shorts seeming too tight on my legs. I flicked the light off, then kissed James gently, his bottom lip between both of mine. I sucked on it lightly, and he moaned softly. That had to have been one of the hottest sounds I had ever heard. And it only turned me on more because I made him do that.

James slid his arms around my waist as he kissed me again, running his tongue across the inside of my bottom lip. I opened my mouth and let James explore it, making me giggle internally. I slid my hands up further on his abs, up to his chest, taking his shirt with me. We parted so I could pull his shirt off, and I was getting frustrated because he was wearing long sleeves.

"Why did you wear long sleeves?" I said as I slowly pulled them off his arms, making him wait longer.

"Because it was like 60 today," James said. I laughed.

"That's not cold," I said, then before he could respond, I kissed him again. I pulled his sleeves off, then threw his shirt somewhere. He was exploring my mouth again, and I would be lying if I said I didn't like that. And it only made it better that he was really good at this.

After another moment, James slid his hands under my shirt, his skin somewhat cold on mine, then pulled it over my head and threw it away. I started kissing his neck, and as I moved closer to his chest, he squirmed a little, making me laugh.

Ticklish spot? I thought.

I moved down to his abs, taking in the perfect muscles, then after a moment, I switched the position and pulled James on top of me. You could say I was glad I was the dominate one in this situation.

James kissed my neck, then sucked on the skin, his mission to leave a hickey, making me moan softly.

"James, stop!" I giggled as I could feel one forming. He smiled a little, then went back to it, at a different spot this time. After a few more minutes of letting him roam about me, I unbuttoned his gray pants and pushed them away. James ground his hips onto mine, and I moaned again, not so quietly this time.

He didn't waste another ten seconds until he pulled my shorts off and threw them somewhere; I was too far into a trance to know exactly where. James ground down on my hips again, but this time it seemed a whole lot better. He said something, but I couldn't make it out.

"What?" I asked, pulling myself out of my trance.

"Are you ready?" He repeated quietly. I knew what he meant, but part of me was worried. We had never done this before. James must have picked up on it because he brushed some hair off my face. "I won't hurt you, I promise." I nodded, accepting this. "Do you wanna to do this?" I nodded again.

"I wanna do this James," I said. He kissed me gently, and I slid my hand onto this perfectly toned shoulder. I'd seen him shirtless before of course, but now it seemed better, like he'd gotten hotter since the last time I'd seen him shirtless, which was only a few days ago. He ground his hips onto mine again and I moaned without even realizing it. Gosh this was legitimately great. A moment later, I felt a pain and my whole body tightened.

"Babe, you gotta relax," James said softly, caressing my cheek. I nodded and took a deep breath. The same small pain came back again and I tightened my grip on James' shoulder. As he went deeper, I winced slightly at the harsher pain. "Shh, it's okay," He said reassuringly. "Just relax."

A few moments later, the pain became bearable and I almost felt a…emptiness.

"James," I said seriously, "Stop teasing me." He looked up at me, shocked.

"What? I'm not teasing you!" He said, not catching that I was being sarcastic.

"James, I was joking, but seriously, get moving," I said. He laughed a little, then gladly obeyed. He started out slowly, but I soon wanted more. "Jaaaames," I moaned, "Pleeeease."

I could almost hear him smiling. I internally rolled my eyes. Boys.

He did as I told him, grinding down his hips against mine.

"James, god," I mumbled. This was _amazing_. As he moved faster, I could feel something building in the pit of my stomach.

A few minutes later, the feeling was practically unbearable, and then suddenly it seemed to explode.

"Oh my _god_," I moaned loudly. A moment later, James moaned and I knew the same thing had just happened to him.

A minute later, he collapsed next to me. We slid under the blankets, and I laid my head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. We laid there silently for a few minutes, listening to our breathing return to normal. I had almost fallen asleep in James' warm embrace, but he pulled me back in for another moment.

"I love you," He whispered. I smiled in the darkness; this was the absolute perfect night.

"I love you too," I whispered back.

I woke up the next morning, my shoulder barely touching James' bare chest, but enough to send chills down my spine. I studied his face for a moment, then pushed the hair off his face. I leaned over and kissed his forehead gently. I laid there for a moment in the slightly sun-lit room and thought about everything. I don't know why my mind was reeling, but I liked thinking about everything, especially the future, with my future lying right next to me.


	5. Chapter 5

As I came to the apartment door, I heard muffled laughs and talking on the other side. I smiled a little, glad that the guys were hanging out here. I hadn't seen them in a few days. I pushed the door shut with my elbow, since my hands were full of stuff.

"Hey!" They all said as they saw me.

"Hey guys," I said. They were sitting around the table, James sitting at the chair closest to me, eating chips. Typical. Even with all the stuff in my hands, I went over to James and he looked up at me and said "Hi," in a low tone.

"Hi," I said, moving my face closer to his. I gave him a quick kiss, then went over to the island and set down my bag, sunglasses, phone, and laptop.

"Man," Kendall said, "You have a lot of stuff." I smiled, then said "Yeah, tell me about it. Normally I'm neater than this, but today I was super rushed." He laughed a little, then said "I can understand that." I sighed, upset that they were eating chips.

"Do you guys want me to make something?" They all looked at me with a shocked expression.

"We're fine," Logan said for all of them. James stood up and came over to me.

"You had a long day. You don't need to feed us too." I laughed a little, throwing my sunglasses in my bag. I picked up the rest of my stuff, then walked towards the bedroom.

"Okay, then we'll go out, all of us. Tell Katelyn to come too." I didn't even give them a chance to say no before I shut the door and threw my bag onto my bed. I hopped in the shower, then slid on a casual dress. I dried my hair and left it be. It was already straight enough, and it was actually cooperating with me today. I picked up my bag and walked out the door. "Alright, are we ready?" I asked all of them. They all nodded.

"Whoa, you're quick," Carlos said. "You look totally different." I guess I did. I went from wearing jeans and a floral tanktop, a little makeup, my hair in a loose bun, to a casual pink dress with darker vertical pink stripes, my full-out makeup (which still isn't a lot), and my hair down, hardly anything done to it.

"Thank you," I said proudly. Between my sister and me, I would take 10 minutes to get as dolled up as she would in 45 minutes.

"Let's roll," Carlos said. James took my hand, linking his fingers in mine.

"Is Katelyn coming?" I asked.

"She can't," Kendall said. "She's busy." Aw, I thought. She's going to miss out.

"Oh, okay," I said sadly. I really wanted her to come. We went to a restaurant I'd been to a few times before, laughing and having a good time. I fit in so perfectly with these four guys. I could say anything around them. They were always laid back and loved hearing what I had to say. And they were some of my closest friends, which is probably why 95% of the time we goofed off.

"Can I ask you a question?" Logan asked me as we left the restaurant.

"Sure," I said.

"What is your job now?" I started out with a singing career that Carlos set me up with, but I liked it more for fun, and it wasn't my real passion. I told the producer this and he asked me what I wanted to do instead, and I told him something that had to do with writing; I was open for anything. So he helped me land a job for this magazine nickelodeon was going to launch. It's a behind the scenes type and I had to write and do interviews and edit some of the writing my co-workers were doing. I had been doing that since September, and it is my dream job. I mean, I'm having tons of fun. You can't get that everywhere. I told Logan this, and he asked if I was ever going to interview them.

"Maybe, I don't know yet," I said smiling.

"Do you have a strict work schedule?" Kendall asked.

"No, not at all; I have no set hours. I get something new to do every Monday and it has to be done by Saturday. And I hardly ever have to actually go to the office, unless of course I'm interviewing someone."

"Sounds fun," he said.

"Oh, totally," I said as we got to our apartment building.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow," Logan said.

"Yeah, see you," I said. "You haven't said much," I said to James as we laid in bed half an hour later. He shrugged, then said "Just letting you have your moment." I smiled a little, then kissed his cheek. James pulled the blankets up over us, and I immediately fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning to a muffled thud, but it was loud enough to wake me up. I opened my eyes and James was picking something up off the floor. I laughed a little.

"James, why is it that every Monday you're clumsy and knock things over?" For the past few weeks, every Monday he literally would either knock something off the dresser, or drop something in the bathroom or kitchen. And it was only on Mondays, too. No other day of the week. James put whatever he knocked off back on the dresser, then said "Because it's 5.45 on a Monday morning." I smiled a little.

"Understandable." He came over to me and said "Alright, I gotta go. I'll call you when I know when I'm gonna be home."

"Okay," I said. James leaned down and kissed me for a moment.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too." And with that, I was free to go back to sleep. I woke up again at nine, and I went out to the kitchen, where there was a note sitting next to the coffee pot.

_Since I couldn't make you breakfast, I figured I'd set the coffee pot (I set it for 8.55, so it should be hot for you.) See you later. I love you. James. _

I smiled. He knew my sleeping habits all too well. I got a cup, then went back into the bedroom and turned on my laptop. One new email, like every Monday- this week's project. This week I had to do an interview with a guy from the newest show, Victorious. I'm sure it's going to be interesting, just like all my other interviews have been. Everybody had been so polite to me. I also had to edit this weeks 'Weekly Seen.' That was just a collection of pictures sent to me from the previous week of everybody from nickelodeon on their shows. It was kind of like behind the scenes. I figured I'd type the questions up for my interview, then do Weekly Seen. This week I had a lot of pictures to choose from, but could only pick about 6 or 8 to put on one page, so it took me a while to choose. Then I had to write a little caption with the information given about what was going on in the picture. I finished everything at about one pm, then I had to clean up the apartment, especially the bedroom. James and I had dirty laundry lying on the floor, and it was about time I did it. It was driving me nuts anyway, and I didn't have anything else to do. I threw a load in the washing machine, then remembered I needed to start writing my grocery store list. I went over to the notepad on the fridge, tore a piece off and got a pen. Then suddenly my phone rang, playing the chorus of the guys' newest song Famous.

"Phone, phone. Where's my phone?" I said to myself. I finally found it under my pillow. When did I put that there? I looked at the screen. James was calling. I smiled, then picked it up. "Hey," I said into the phone.

"Hey. I just wanted to call you to tell you I'd be home in ten minutes," James said.

"Really?" I asked. He hardly ever came home this early.

"Yup."

"Okay, I'll be waiting," I said, going back into the kitchen.

"I know. I love you."

"I love you too, bye," I said, then hung up. I put my phone down on the counter next to me, then went back to my list.

Advil, bandaids, shampoo, conditioner, soap, I wrote. I had to write it in a specific way or I'd forget something. Paper towels, yogurt, milk, half and half, butter, cream cheese, shredded cheese, sausage, eggs, green tea, chips, soup, pasta, tomato sauce, peanut butter bars, nutella, peanut butter, bread, onion rings, shells, rice, chicken, pizza dough. I read over it once, then left it be to go switch my laundry and add another load. I put my clothes in the dryer, then went into the bedroom to start folding the first one.

"I'm home!" James called as I folded one of his shirts. I went out to the kitchen, and James was looking into our bare refrigerator. He turned his head to look at me as I walked up to him. He slid his right arm around me and kissed my cheek. "Hello beautiful," he said. I smiled a little; I was a sucker for sweet talk. "Hey, look not to be a bother, but we kind of have no food." I elbowed him in the ribs playfully and he let go of me.

"I know that. That's why I was writing a store list," I said pointing towards it. James walked over to it, then started reading it. "Do you need anything special?" I asked him.

"Um, I don't think so. You pretty much have us covered," he said turning around to me again. He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me towards him. Sure I wanted to kiss him, but I also had things to do. James kissed me softly, and pulled me close to him. I kissed him back for a moment, then remembered what I had to do.

"James, I have things to do," I said without taking my lips off his. So I was a sucker for kissing him too. He continued to kiss me, ignoring my comment, so I added "Seriously I do."

"Uhh," he said pulling away. I shook my head at him.

"Just for that you have to go fold that load of clothes sitting on our bed," I said seriously. Ooo, I sounded like a mother. Oh well.

"No! Please don't make me!" James begged. Ha. And he sounded like a kid. How great was this. I caved, like I always do for James.

"Fine. But you're going to the store and helping me fold it when we get back." He sighed heavily, and I had to keep myself from laughing.

"Okay, but will you at least give me a kiss?" I rolled my eyes at him, then kissed him quickly. "That doesn't count," he said looking down to me.

"And why not?"

"Because I said so," he said. I smiled, then kissed him again, for a few long seconds. "Now that was impressive," he said smiling. I smacked his arm and said "Shut up."

Once we got back from the store, our kitchen now stocked with more things than on our list, I did the last load of laundry. James and I folded all our clothes, and I noticed as I put them away, and as the day turned into late afternoon, James was becoming more crabby, which always made him more tired. He didn't get like that much, but it was Monday, he had work AND I made him do chores. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to me, as I hung up some shirts in the closet. I went and sat behind him, so he was in between my legs. I started rubbing his shoulders, and I could feel his body loosening beneath my hands.

"These stupid Mondays," I said quietly. "They ruin everything." I saw James smile a little. I rubbed his shoulders a little harder, and he made a soft sound. "Tomorrow will be better," I said. I stopped rubbing his shoulders, but left my hands there, and started kissing his neck. Mine as well set him up, then leave him hanging, right? "What do you want for dinner?" I asked him.

"Hm…surprise me," James said.

"I will," I whispered in his ear. I kissed his cheek, then went out to the kitchen, closing the door behind me. I knew he was tired, and he knew it too. He had a long day, so I'd let him nap while I made dinner. I decided I'd make pasta, since Italian always put him in a good mood.


	6. Chapter 6

I had gotten home from work a few minutes ago and had just finished taking a shower when James called me. I hadn't seen him all day because he had to get up at like five to go to work this morning. I picked up my phone as I went into the kitchen.

"Hey," I said into it.

"Hey," James said. I pulled some chicken out of the freezer, then turned on the stove. "I just wanted to call you to ask you if Logan could stay with us for a few days? Something's up with their room, and Logan just asked me instead of going somewhere else." Immediately I knew the answer, no thinking.

"Of course!" I said. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"Alright, awesome. I'll tell him. I'll- I mean, we'll be there in about ten minutes." I felt myself smile; for some reason I just really wanted to see James.

"Okay. I'm making chicken wraps, so get pumped," I said.

"Really? Yes!" James laughed a little, then said "Alright, see you in a few."

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you too," I said, then hung up. A few minutes later, I was taking everything we would need out of the fridge and setting them on the counter. Then I heard the door open. Yes, I thought. James was finally hear.

"Hello my love," James said as he walked in the kitchen. He came up behind me and kissed my cheek. I turned around as Logan came in.

"Hello boys," I said. "James, why don't you show Logan his room." James simply nodded and took Logan a few feet away to the other tiny bedroom we had. James returned a few minutes later and came up to me and looked me in the eyes. He kissed me softly, his hands on my hips.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here a lot lately," he said quietly. I stood there for a moment, looking down at the floor, wanting to cry, wanting to yell. Then James cupped my face in one of his hands and lifted my face up to his to look into his hazel eyes again. My heart softened, almost seeming to melt, the look in his eyes telling me he was deeply sorry.

"Its-" I stammered for the words. "It's okay. It's your job." He pulled me close to him, so I was up against his chest.

"I love you," James whispered in my ear. For some reason, memories were flooding back to all the times he had ever said that, my answer always the same.

"I love you too," I said. He kissed me again, gently this time. I made it last for a moment longer, until I heard Logan's door shut. After we ate dinner, the guys were in dire need of chocolate cake. I told them I wasn't going to make it, that they could either make it themselves or go and buy one. After debating for a few minutes, they finally left to go buy one. Typical.

I was sitting in the living room on the floor in front of our new couch, which I loved. It was chocolate brown and had a love seat behind me that connected to three seats to my right. It was probably the absolute comfiest couch I'd ever sat on in my life. But I wasn't sure why I was sitting on the floor…I had just started watching season four of Friday Night Lights on DVD, my absolute favorite show, when I heard the door open.

"We're back!" James called. I turned my head and of course they bought a huge cake. I shook my head, but I wasn't worried. That would be gone by the time Logan left…which thinking about it, I had no idea when that would be. "Hey babe," James said coming in the room with some cake, and something else in his hand. He handed it to me, then sat down behind me on the couch.

"Aw James you got me Starbucks? You are just too kind," I said. He smiled, then a moment later, Logan came in and sat down on the couch to my right.

"You watch Friday Night Lights?" He asked.

"Yeah, duh," I said like he should have already known.

"I was in an episode," he said. I almost choked on my straw.

"What?" He looked at me a moment, then smiled and said "Yeah, season two." I thought for a moment; I had every season on DVD. Then it hit me. _That's_ why the guy in that movie theater scene looked so familiar! It was Logan with longer hair.

"Oh my god yes! You were a bully!" I squealed.

"…Made kissy noises at Smash's sister," we said at the same time. I shook my head and smiled, still not fully believing it, then went back to watching the DVD. Even though it was only the first episode, Logan and I were completely immersed in it. James tapped my shoulder from behind me, and at first I didn't think he needed me until he did it again. I tilted my head back to look at him.

"Yes?" I asked.

"You have an unhealthy obsession with this show," was all he said. I laughed then said "Yes, yes I do." James smiled, then kissed me at the odd angle.

"Mmm," I said quietly, "You taste like cake." Good thing Logan was too focused on the show, I thought.

"So you like it?" He asked as if though the answer wasn't obvious. I laughed.

"Yes," I whispered. He kissed me again. "Do you have anymore cake?" I asked him. James nodded, then got a bite on his fork. He fed it to me, and I sighed at the taste. It was beyond good. "Thank youuuuu," I said. I turned back to the TV and a few minutes later, Logan said "Are we watching this all night?" Without thinking, I said "It's a date!" James wouldn't stay up all night to watch it though; he wasn't a very big fan of it. We all sat there and watched the rest of the first disc. I glanced at the clock after I put in the second disc- 10.58. This time I sat down next to James, and I cuddled up next to him, fitting perfectly into the crook of his arm.

"Logan I hope you're not jealous," I said sarcastically, nodding at James. James cleared his throat and shifted his body beside mine, but I ignored him. Logan laughed and played along, saying, "Maybe a little," while holding two fingers a few inches apart.

"Good. You should be." Next to me, James coughed, showing _he _was jealous of the conversation. I looked over and laughed a little, then said "What?" He rolled his eyes, his temper flaring.

"I'm going to bed," James said flatly, standing up. After he had shut the door, Logan said "Um...What just?" He stammered for words, but I shook my head.

"Don't worry about him," I said softly, even though he should have.

It was a few minutes before midnight when Logan and I decided to save the last eight for tomorrow, since him and James had off. I was about to open my bedroom door when I said "Logan, wait." He turned around and waited for me to proceed. "Um, after what happened earlier, I think I'm gonna take James somewhere tomorrow so…" I trailed off, hoping he'd catch the point.

"Oh, yeah, sure," he said. Good, he caught it. "We'll find some other time to watch it. Whenever you get the chance." I smiled a little, then mouthed thanks. He nodded, and I opened my bedroom door. The lights were off, but the TV was still on, the volume low. James was lying in the bed, the blankets pulled up to his abdomen, and he only looked at me, wordless. I went into the bathroom, and let out a sigh; why was he so jealous? I changed and brushed my teeth, then went and laid down next to James. He was just lying there on his back, but I could tell that in the dim light he had his teeth clenched. I moved closer and ran my hand up and down his abdomen.

"James, I was only kidding," I said quietly.

"Yeah, well, you made me jealous," he said, his voice still flat like earlier.

"But why?" I asked, sitting up, turning to face him. Before he could answer, I said "James, were _engaged_. Nothing, _nothing_, will ever change that." I took his hand in mine, lacing my fingers with his. "I don't feel anything around Logan." James' face softened.

"It's just you seemed to be more interested in talking to him, and hanging out with him. You just seemed uninterested in me," he said sadly. He looked down, then swallowed hard. "Is that why you were uninterested? Are you not attracted to me anymore?" I wanted to scream 'what?' at him. Did he forget about the sparks we felt every time we kissed?

"James. I'm still attracted to you. Every time you kiss me, I still feel those sparks like the first time." He looked in my eyes.

"You do?" He sounded genuinely surprised. I nodded.

"If I didn't, would I do this?" I asked him, almost seductively. I kissed him, his bottom lip between both of mine. I sucked on his lip lightly, then ran my tongue alone the inside of it. James was kissing me back, and I knew he felt what I felt. "Did you still feel that?" I asked him, even though I really didn't need to.

"I did," he said quietly. I smiled, then said "Good, me too." I rested my head on James' chest, and he slid an arm around my shoulders. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

The next morning I woke up early, at around 7, on my stomach, my arms over my head on my pillow. Uncomfortable, I thought. I rolled over to my back, James facing me on his side, and scooted closer to him, until my waist was resting against his. Much better, I thought, smiling a little. I yawned, then closed my eyes again, trying to fall asleep. I was almost back to sleep when James' body shifted.

"James. Stop…I'm comfy," I mumbled, angry that he was disturbing my almost-asleep status. I heard him giggle, then move close to me again, like we were before, putting his left hand on my stomach. Perfect, I thought. "Stay," I ordered. I was almost asleep when yet again James kept me up.

"Hey baby," he said in my ear, sounding not so much like a question, more flirtatiously.

"What?" I asked him, voicing my annoyance. He didn't seem to comprehend it.

"Let's go out to breakfast or something," he said.

"Ask me in an hour," I said, squeezing my eyes shut more, the sun growing brighter.

"Well then maybe we can spend the day being more…productive," James whispered, slipping his hand under my shirt. I giggled a little. His hand was cold on my warm skin, and as he stroked my stomach, I almost fell for him this early.

"Hmm…maybe later," I said pushing his hand away. "Too early." I rolled over to my side and buried my face in the pillow, then James slid an arm around my waist. "Now stay. I'm serious. One more hour and you can get me up," I said sternly.

"O-okay," he sang in my ear. I giggled, then finally drifted back into sleep.


End file.
